Rule 8.3 - VENTURE PRODUCTION

FORM 8.3

    DEALINGS BY PERSONS WITH INTERESTS IN SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE
              (Rule 8.3 of the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers)


1.   KEY INFORMATION

Name of person dealing        BARCLAYS PLC
(Note 1)
Company dealt in              VENTURE PRODUCTION
Class of relevant security    ORD GBP0.004
to which the dealings being
disclosed relate (Note 2)
Date of dealing               09 october 2007

2.   INTERESTS, SHORT POSITIONS AND RIGHTS TO SUBSCRIBE

(a)  Interests and short positions (following dealing) in the class of relevant
security dealt in (Note 3)

                            Long                     Short

                      Number       (%)         Number       (%)

(1) Relevant      4,607,238      3.24%            61,555   0.04%

(2) Derivatives   1,958,526      1.38%         2,117,212   1.49%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and           0      0.00%                0    0.00%
agreements to
purchase/sell
Total             6,565,764      4.62%         2,178,767   1.53%

(b)  Interests and short positions in relevant securities of the company, other
     than the class dealt in (Note 3)

Class of                    Long                     Short
relevant
security:

                  Number              (%)   Number              (%)

(1) Relevant
securities

(2) Derivatives
(other than
options)

(3) Options and
agreements to
purchase/sell

Total


  (c)  Rights to subscribe (Note 3)

Class of relevant security:   Details



3.   DEALINGS (Note 4)

  (a)  Purchases and sales

Purchase/sale Number of Securities Price per unit
                                   (GBP)
Purchase      33,519               6.9095
Purchase      400                  6.9954
Purchase      69                   7.0288
Purchase      137                  7.1565
Purchase      9,550                7.0700
Purchase      692                  6.8788
Purchase      691                  6.8938
Purchase      236                  6.8697
Purchase      505                  6.8186
Purchase      300                  6.9762
Purchase      118                  6.8686
Purchase      14,186               7.0082
Purchase      321                  6.8709
Purchase      1,070                6.9800
Purchase      7,381                6.9500
Purchase      300                  6.9762
Purchase      13,324               6.9139
Purchase      99                   6.8686
Sale          14,806               7.0043
Sale          4,369                7.0650
Sale          133                  6.8410
Sale          6,667                6.8738
Sale          4,187                6.9554
Sale          6                    7.0383
Sale          685                  7.0065
Sale          9,550                7.1150
Sale          292                  6.9980
Sale          1,462                6.9554
Sale          13,900               6.8394
Sale          144                  7.0300
Sale          200                  7.0391
Sale          10,526               6.9702
Sale          300                  6.9762
Sale          4,639                6.9002
Sale          692                  6.9465
Sale          3,111                7.1053

(b)  Derivatives transactions (other than options)
Product name,  Long/Short    Number of     Price per
(e.g. CFD)     (Note 6)      Securities    unit (GBP)
CFD            Short         33519         6.9094
CFD            Short         13324         6.9138
CFD            Short         300           6.9761
CFD            Short         1070          6.98
CFD            Short         14186         7.0081
CFD            Short         1946          7.1305
CFD            Long          6667          6.8738
CFD            Long          25931         6.9476
CFD            Long          10526         6.9702
CFD            Long          14806         7.0043
CFD            Long          6             7.0383
CFD            Long          200           7.0391

(c)  Options transactions in respect of existing securities

(i)  Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

Product name,   Writing,          Number of          Exercise  Type, e.g.      Expiry   Option money
e.g. call       selling,          securities to      price     American,       date     paid/received
option          purchasing,       which the option             European etc.            per unit (GBP)
                varying etc.      relates (GBP)


(ii) Exercising

Product name, e.g.  Number of           Exercise price per
call option         securities          unit (Note 5)




(d)  Other dealings (including new securities) (Note 4)


Nature of transaction Details           Price per unit
(Note 8)                                (if applicable)
                                        (Note 5)




4.   OTHER INFORMATION
None

Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives


Full details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding between the
person disclosing and any other person relating to the voting rights of
any relevant securities under any option referred to on this form or
relating to the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any
relevant securities to which any derivative referred to on this form is
referenced.  If none, this should be stated.




Is a Supplemental Form 8 attached? (Note 9)                 NO


Date of disclosure                         10 October 2007
Contact name                               Geoff Smith
Telephone number                           020 7116 2913
If a connected EFM, name of
offeree/offeror with which connected
If a connected EFM, state nature of
connection (Note 10)


Notes

The Notes on Form 8.3 can be viewed on the Takeover Panel's website at
www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk